# KDE 6 Widget Starter

An all included template for creating KDE 6 widgets.

## Features

- **Hot Reload**: `make watch` automatically restarts your widget when you modify files.
- **Standard Structure**: Follows KDE Plasma 6 development standards.
- **Integrated Build Tools**: Simple `Makefile` for all common tasks.
- **Testing Environments**: Easily test in panel, desktop, or HiDPI modes.
- **C++ Bridge Demo**: Includes a Qt6 C++ QML module that can be called directly from QML.

## Prerequisites

You need the basic KDE and Qt 6 development tools installed on your Linux distribution.
This also expects you to use clangd as your C++ language server for editor integration along with the clangd VS Code extension.

**Arch Linux:** ( approximate list, and you'll likely have these already on KDE )

```bash
sudo pacman -S plasma-sdk inotify-tools kirigami2 qt6-base qt6-declarative
```

## Quick Start

1. Clone this repository.
2. If you use VS Code, run `make cpp-build` once to build the C++ bridge and generate IDE metadata for autocomplete. Then install the official QML extension and reload the VS Code window.
3. Start hot reload while editing with `make watch`.
4. Install a symlinked development version with `make dev-install`.
5. For a normal local install (non-symlinked), use `make install`.
6. Check style/lint status with `make lint`.
7. Format everything with `make format`.
8. Test in different modes with `make test`, `make test-panel`, `make test-desktop`, or `make test-hidpi`.
9. Package for distribution with `make package` (creates `build/<widget-id>.plasmoid`, default: `build/org.kde.plasma.starter.plasmoid`). This is just a zip file with a different extension, so you can inspect it with any archive manager.

## Editor Setup Notes

- **QML IntelliSense (VS Code):** Workspace settings pin `qmlls` to `/usr/lib/qt6/bin/qmlls` and pass `-I/usr/lib/qt6/qml`, `-b${workspaceFolder}/build/cpp`, and `-d/usr/share/doc/qt6`.
- **Important:** Run `make cpp-build` at least once so the `build/cpp` metadata used by `qmlls` exists.
- **Install modes:** `make dev-install` creates a symlink for development, while `make install` converts that symlink into a normal installed package.
- **Generated C++ QML module:** `package/contents/ui/cppbridge/` is created by the C++ build, so editors may warn about `import "cppbridge"` before first build.
- **Known qmllint false-positive:** `plasmoid.configuration.*` is runtime-injected by Plasma; `main.qml` has a targeted `qmllint` suppression for that property lookup.
- **C++ editor config:** `clangd` uses `build/cpp/compile_commands.json` (set in `.vscode/settings.json`), with project defaults in `.clangd` and `.clang-format`.

## Project Structure

```
.
├── cpp/                        # C++ source and CMake config for the QML bridge module
│   ├── CMakeLists.txt
│   └── src/
│       ├── timebridge.h
│       └── timebridge.cpp
├── package/                    # The source code of your widget
│   ├── metadata.json           # Widget metadata (name, ID, version)
│   └── contents/
│       ├── ui/                 # QML User Interface files
│       │   ├── main.qml        # Main widget UI (entry point)
│       │   ├── configGeneral.qml # UI for the "General" settings tab
│       │   └── cppbridge/      # Generated Qt6 QML module files (.so + qmldir), built by make cpp-build
│       └── config/             # Configuration schema
│           ├── config.qml      # Configuration loader (defines the tabs, more of a placeholder file)
│           └── main.xml        # Settings schema (defines variables & defaults)
├── scripts/
│   └── watch.sh                # Hot reload logic (used by make watch)
└── Makefile                    # Command runner
```

## KDE Plasma Quirks: Configuration Logic vs UI

KDE Plasma separates **Configuration Logic** (Backend) from **Configuration UI** (frontend). This is why there are two "config" related folders:

1.  **The Schema (`contents/config/main.xml`)**:
    - This is the **Database Definition**. It defines the variable names, data types (String, Bool), and **Default Values**.
    - It has _no UI logic_. It just defines what can be saved.

2.  **The View (`contents/ui/configGeneral.qml`)**:
    - This is the **User Interface**. It contains the text fields and checkboxes.
    - It binds to the variables defined in `main.xml`.

## Packaging Notes

Artifacts produced by `make package` are intended for KDE 6 on Linux x86_64.

## License

GPL-3.0